God Will Give Us Wisdom

 Solomon Received Wisdom

 Book of 2 Chronicles Chapter 1 verses 7 through 12

 

 As we begin this first lesson in the Book of 2 Chronicles, we know that King David had died after ruling all the tribes of Israel for a total of forty years.

 Seven years over Judah and Benjamin and thirty-three years over all of Israel.

 God had decided that Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba, would now lead all of Israel after their marriage.

 The first act of Solomon was to take secure control of the throne of Israel.

 We know that Adonijah another son of David was trying to take control of Israel with the help of some rich and powerful leaders, but he had failed.

 Solomon's second act as the new King of Israel was to seek the Lord, worship Him, and pray for the wisdom to be King. 

 The Tabernacle was now in Gibeon, but the Ark of the Covenant was in Jerusalem because God had chosen Jerusalem to be the place where worship would continue.

 King David had built a special Tabernacle to house the Ark of the Covenant.

 I believe that this tabernacle is mentioned in prophecy.

 Isa_16:5  And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.

 Amo_9:11  In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:

 Act_15:16  After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:

 Solomon knew where the Tabernacle was located with the Ark of the Covenant, but the Brazen Altar was at Gibeon, and this is the place where sacrifices were to be made according to Levitical Law

 The Brazen Altar was the one place where all sacrifices were to be made, and Gibeon was only six and one-half miles from Jerusalem.

 The Brazen Altar is in fact a type of Mount Calvary where our Lord Jesus was sacrificed for our sins.

 God had said if anyone offers a sacrifice and brings it not unto the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, offering it to the Lord then that blood would be applied to that man and he would be cut off.

 Lev 17:3  What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, 

Lev 17:4  And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people: 

 King Solomon knew this law applied to him as it did to all the children of Israel.

 King Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings upon this Brazen Altar.

 It is the night after the day that King Solomon did this that the Lord appeared to King Solomon in a dream.

 *****2Ch 1:7  In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee. 

 We first see that God knew Solomon needed some guidance just as we all do.

 We will also see that God will test King Solomon even though God knew what Solomon would ask Him for.

 Solomon had brought all the leadership of Israel and the judges with him to Gibeon.

 This included all the heads of the military.

 It was important for all the leaders of Israel to know that King Solomon would serve the Lord God of Israel.

 What a shame that our leaders will not do this because they reject the God of Truth.

 They claim God and reject His Words, and it does not work like that.

 Now our nation allows so-called scientists who boast of superior insight into the nature of things to direct our nation.

 Many scientists assert that their investigations prove that the teachings of Scripture are false, but real facts show that the Bible has no controversy with real science.

 Because Solomon and those leaders acknowledged their need for the Lord, God accepted their worship through those sacrificial offerings.

 Today God accepts our worship, if we are sincere because the Lord Jesus sacrificed Himself, and the veil in the Temple at Jerusalem was torn from top to bottom and we can go directly to the Lord in our time of need or any other time.

It was important that the veil was torn from top to bottom. If it had been torn from bottom to top, it would have meant that man had done it

 God appeared to King Solomon: 1Ki 3:5  In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 

 God appeared to Solomon in a dream that was much more than a dream.

 This was one of the more significant dreams in the Bible.

 God revealed Himself in various ways in the Old Testament.

 There are many places where God spoke audibly to people.

 To Abraham: Gen 18:13  And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

 Gen 18:17  And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

 To Moses: Exo 19:9  And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD. 

 To Isaiah: Isa 6:8  Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. 

 God also revealed Himself through dreams as we see here with King Solomon.

 Whether it was more like a dream or a vision it was interactive and it was real and it honored God.

 God spoke to Solomon and Solomon spoke to God and prophecy was fulfilled.

 When this is mentioned in the Book of 1 Kings we can see that it is not Jehovah who responded to Solomon but it was Elohim.

 Jehovah appeared but Elohim spoke.

When we hear from the Lord Jesus Christ, He is speaking the words of His Father.

 In this passage here we see that Elohim appeared to Solomon.

 So, even though the Ark was not at Gibeon, God still met with Solomon and talked to him.

 We see that even in the times of the Old Testament, God made it clear that He was not restricted to the Holy of Holies or the Ark of the Covenant.

The Holy of Holies was a place where God met the High Priest of Israel.

 God said: "Ask what I shall give thee".

 We can take this to mean that Solomon could have asked for anything.

 We can just imagine how we would respond if the Almighty God asked us this same question.

 We know that we can ask for anything that is in the will of God for our lives, and He will give those things to us.

 What did Jesus say?

 Mat_7:7  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

 Mat_21:22  And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

 Jhn_16:23  And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

 Now it does not really say that God would have given Solomon anything he asked for, because God knew before Solomon asked, what he was going to ask for.

 We can be sure that God's response had nothing to do with those one thousand animals that were sacrificed.

 It was because Solomon's heart was surrendered to God at this time!

 This is the key to answered prayer! Having our hearts surrendered to the Lord.

 Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

 *****2Ch 1:8  And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead. 

2Ch 1:9  Now, O LORD God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. 

 It should be very clear that God knows what is in our hearts before we ask of Him!

 When we ask of God, we must have faith that He can supply what we ask for or we will never receive gifts from God.

 God is not only able, but He is also willing to give us anything, but it must be in His will for us.

 God had shown more than great mercy to David, God had also made David a rich man.

 Why might we ask?

 1Ki 3:6  And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 

1Ki 3:7  And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. 

 David had left all those riches to be used to build a Temple for God in Jerusalem.

 At this time Solomon was certainly not a child according to our standards.

 He was probably between the ages of seventeen to twenty-two.

 The one thing Solomon knew was that he was personally inadequate to fulfill God's promises to his father David.

 The nation of Israel was too great.

There were too many people for him to govern effectively.

The task that was lying before him was just too overwhelming.

 Solomon felt helpless.

 Solomon likened himself to be a small child.

 Solomon knew he lacked the wisdom to be King of Israel.

 The laws of Moses stated that Israel had to have a king who was humble and who would remain humble.

 A king was required to read the law of God daily and follow it.

 Deu 17:18  And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: 

Deu 17:19  And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: 

Deu 17:20  That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel. 

 No king was to feel he was superior to his fellow citizens.

 We know that this is a problem in the last few governments that we have.

 Those ultra-liberal Senators and Congressmen men and women treated us as inferiors!

 Solomon knew he needed God's help.

 This is exactly where God wants each of us.

 The Lord Jesus put it this way: Jhn_15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

 We have found this to be very true!

 What was God's promise to David?

 2Sa 7:12  And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 

2Sa 7:13  He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 

2Sa 7:14  I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: 

2Sa 7:15  But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. 

2Sa 7:16  And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. 

 We know this prophecy did not only concern Solomon but more importantly our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only one who could fulfill this prophecy.

 What did Solomon need?

 *****2Ch 1:10  Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great? 

 What is the difference between wisdom and knowledge?

 **By knowledge Solomon meant the ability to gather and understand facts.

 By definition knowledge is a clear and certain perception of things that exist.

 We have no knowledge of things that do not exist, but God has perfect knowledge of all His creation so human knowledge is very limited.

 Knowing these things then keep in mind that ignorance is the curse of God.

 We know that Jesus Christ alone possesses all the knowledge of God.

 **Wisdom is the ability to apply the facts that are learned.

 By definition, wisdom is the right use of knowledge.

 Wisdom in fact is one of the names of Jesus Christ: 1Co_1:24  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

 We should know that Solomon became king because God was rewarding his father, King David.

 What Solomon needed the most was the 'Grace" of God.

 We see that Solomon did not have a clue on how to rule a kingdom.

 When we admit what we are, dumb sheep, then God has something to work with.

 *****2Ch 1:11  And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: 

 And God speaks.

 What did God tell the Prophet Samuel before this all began?

 1Sa 16:7  But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 

The word heart is used 833 times in the KJV Bible.

The heart is the center of the physical, mental, and spiritual life of all humans!

It is the heart that is at the center of our physical life.

Act 14:17  Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. 

The heart and our mind are closely connected.

It is thought that our heart is the seat of our intelligence.

Pro_8:5  O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

Sometimes we think with our heart.

Pro 23:7  For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. 

We ponder things in our hearts.

Luk 2:19  But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 

We see the heart and mind connected.

Our emotions are tied to our hearts.

God can see into our hearts, and He knows who his children are and those who are not and never will be.

Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 

Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 

Now we cannot read our own thoughts into this. 

This is something God knows, and we cannot know!

The heart is the center of our spiritual life!

Job said: Job 27:6  My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. 

It is our heart that will condemn us, but it is also in our heart where we feel the power of God.

1Jn 3:19  And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 

1Jn 3:20  For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 

1Jn 3:21  Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 

It is because our heart is at the root of all our problems this is the place where God does His greatest work!

Rom 2:14  For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 

Rom 2:15  Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 

Rom 2:16  In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. 

It is the heart where God sows His seed (the Word of God).

Mat 13:19  When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 

Rom 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 

Rom 10:11  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 

It is in the heart where God will make His home within us.

2Co 1:21  Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 

2Co 1:22  Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. 

This is why if God wants to know us, all He has to do is look into our hearts.

This is why we can witness for the Lord.

Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 

This is what God saw in the heart of Solomon.

*****2Ch 1:12  Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like. 

There is a principle in the Bible that we have trouble understanding and the Lord Jesus uses it: Mat_25:29  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

We see that King Solomon had enough wisdom to offer up a wise prayer, so God increased his wisdom as the answer to his prayer.

We see that all those who make this world their end will come up short in the gifts of God.

Those who make it to the "Glory World" will not only obtain a mansion in God's home, but God will give us enough in this world that we live and take care of our families.

Yes, God gave Solomon riches and wealth and honor, but these things had another purpose.

The truth is, if we put the Lord and His ways first in our lives then, good things can happen.

It means following God's will for our lives, then blessings will come our way!

God freely gives His wisdom if we will just ask Him.

Jas 1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 

Amen`

Loving Because God Loves

Loving As We Live

1 Peter Chapter 1:13-25

We should understand as Peter wrote these things that persecution of the New Church was very great. Those that were Jews had lost their property, possessions, money, and even family members and friends.

They had been forced to flee for their lives and this kind of thing spreads into other countries as people feel like they are doing some good when they are violating basic human rights!

And just like today many others were excited about the Church with its salvation and hope and eternal life but they did not want to hear about repentance.

Somethings never change!

People just do not want to hear about righteousness and godliness!

These of the New Covenant Church needed to be encouraged.

One of the greatest missions we can have is to be an encourager!

It is the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ that changes lives!

It is the promises of God that can be used to encourage others!

When we keep our eyes focused on the "Grace" of God, we find that we can endure the things of this world knowing that we are only strangers here and the New Heaven will be our home!

We must prepare our minds for success. We are on "the winning side"!

*****1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

To gird means: To surround; to encircle; to enclose; to encompass.

The loins are: The loins are the space on each side of the vertebrae, between the lowest of the false ribs and the upper portion of the osilium or haunch bone, or the lateral portions of the lumbar region; called also the reins.

Then these words of Peter mean, because we have such promises from the Lord Jesus Christ we can now be of use to the glory of God!

Isa 11:5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

Jesus said it like this:

Luk 12:34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Luk 12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

Luk 12:36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

The Apostle Paul said like this:

Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Eph 6:19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Eph 6:20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

We can see that we are to be prepared to be a disciple of the Lord!

Our salvation is such a great thing it should be of interest to others as it was to the angels!

You see that true salvation can come only buy the "Grace" of God.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

We must be courageous Christians in this wicked world!

We must be genuine Christians in this wicked world!

We must be sincere Christians in this wicked world!

As true Christians we are to make an impact on those around us!

Again the Apostle Paul said it like this:

Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Php 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

You see these things can come only by Jesus Christ!

We must be obedient children to our Father who art in Heaven!!!!!

We must never fear the coming of the Lord because He comes to take us home!

*****1Pe 1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

Whether we like it or not we were servants of the Devil until we gave our life to Jesus Christ.

We obeyed the thoughts in our head without question. We just did the evil things of this world without questioning our own morality.

well in this same sense we must now be obedient to the Lord and honor our Father in Heaven.

Being obedient to the Word of God without questioning our God who wrote His Words by the Holy Spirit, using the hands of some man who dearly loved Him!

We were ignorant to the truth of God. I know I was but not ever again!

If we think Satan will leave us alone, we have become fools. This is why the Scriptures are so very important to us!

We belong to God after we are washed in the blood of Jesus and we need to act like it!

We are not God's mercenaries nor are we God's slaves, we are God's children!

Those that reject this truth need to visit Gethsemane and Calvary and learn of the Nazarene.

Psa 119:6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.

Psa 119:7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.

Psa 119:8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

Why did God reveal Himself to Moses? God decided to reclaim His children!

God has a plan much greater than any plan of man and God's plan cannot be stopped, nor can it be hindered or slowed down!

What is the truth of God?

Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Mat 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

We can be wise in the wisdom of God or we can be ignorant of the truth of God, we cannot be both!

As we learn more of the Character of God and take those thoughts back to the Book of Genesis and see that when God said let there be light, then that was the Light of Lord who had the same character that we have learned to know and to love about our Savior.

It is God's love for us who sent His Son to Mount Calvary!

God wants us to be Holy as He is Holy and this is not asking too much, it is only learning the truth and realizing the lies of this world that is influenced by the Devil!

*****1Pe 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

1Pe 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

The Lord God Jehovah is Holy in all His ways!!!!!

Isa 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

We can disagree but that just makes us fools!

Rev 15:4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

To be Holy is to be perfect! The triune God is perfect! So to be holy is to have purity and integrity of moral character.

To be holy is to be conformed to the will of God!

Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

These things are not so hard to understand!

Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Being holy is something God is working on us every day, because it is not an overnight thing. Holiness is learned gradually!

2Co 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Holiness is not something that is appointed it is something we learn by the Scriptures and with the help of the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit)!

1Th 4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

And yes, we are to have a reverent fear of our Holy God!

But we should also how powerful our God is and have a physical fear of Him also.

*****1Pe 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

Our fear of the Lord is the basis of a good relationship with our Father in Heaven!

Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Job 28:28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Psa 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

If our fear is joined with hope and love, we can have a close and personal relationship with our Savior, and these are facts!

What did Adam say after he had sin in his life?

Gen 3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Adam had never feared the Lord before his sin!

If we do not hold our Heavenly Father above all others, then we are not reverencing our Father!

If we call God our Father, then we need to act like we are His blessed children!

We need to stand against all sin.

We need to stand against all trials.

We need to stand against all persecutions, all temptations, and all evil in this life!

If we do not respect our Father, then why pray because we are wasting our time!

Jesus gave us this example:

Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

If we cannot "hallow" our Heavenly Father, then our life will be meaningless!

We must understand that it is Jehovah God who is the "Judge" of this world.

We must hold God in reverence, but we must also live in "awe" of our mighty God and fools not to do so!

1) Every person who has ever lived will be judged and God is that judge! You will stand at the feet of God one day!

2) It is the works we have done that will be judged! For the believer, he will be judged only on what he or she has done since calling on Christ for forgiveness. For the unbeliever it will be the things he or she has done all their lives with the first and greatest sin is rejecting our Savior, and rejecting this Judge!

We are saved by "faith" if that faith is in the works of Jesus Christ! Jesus did all the works so we have no works to get us saved and if we attempt to do works to please God then we will fail. Our works begin after salvation and not before salvation!

No matter who we are we are all judged the same. Billy Graham will be judged the same as Adolf Hitler. God does not show favoritism!

Each sinner has already been judged and condemned to death. This death is an eternity without God to save them in the pits of misery in Hell!

God just does not show partiality or favoritism!

You see once we know Jesus as our Savior, we are adopted into the family of God and we are just aliens on this planet, Heaven is our true home!

All these good things come when we have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

All these bad things come when we reject the Lord Jesus Christ. It's just that simple!

How are we to act around other Christians?

1Th_2:10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:

You see when we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we then are the redeemed!

*****1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

What is the "atonement"?

The state of being at one with God the Father or "reconciled" to our Heavenly Father.

Our atonement came about by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Our Heavenly Father was satisfied with the debt that Jesus paid for our sins.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

It is this death of Jesus Christ that satisfied all the demands of the 613 laws of Moses and the demands of God for all Gentiles!

The work of Jesus Christ for our sins was His suffering and His obedience in the eyes of His Father!

The atonement is the consequence of God's love to guilty mankind!

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The truth is, you can refine silver over and over again and it will never be 100% pure and when placed in the hands of man it becomes less pure. It is the same for gold!

The same cannot be said of our Savior, Our Savior is 100% pure and so is His blood. Jesus was incorruptible then and He is now because He lives!

A slave could be bought with silver and gold in fact a rich man could also be bought with silver or gold, but these things can never buy our reconciliation to our Holy God.

In the eyes of God, gold is nothing more than asphalt for paving roads!

Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Gal 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The blood of Jesus is our means of eternal life!

Lev_17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Joh_6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

Joh_6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Yes, we are a bloody religion because it has to be this way!

It is by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that we have been made free from the empty life that we are taught to live by this evil world!

An empty life is useless to our God and it dooms us to eternal death in a place that was created for Satan, the Devil, HELL!

It is the spotless blood of Jesus that washed us as white as snow!

Jesus Christ is the Word that became Flesh. The blood of Jesus is the blood in which God was manifest. There is no blood so precious as that of The Lord Jesus Christ.

"What can wash my sin away? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!"

Jesus and God are one and the same!

*****1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

God had a plan of salvation put together before the first day of Creation!

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

2Ti 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

The New Testament Church rises or falls according to the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ!

Will the redeemed of the Lord say so?

We must understand that it is the resurrection of Jesus Christ where our hope of eternity stands!

Jesus Christ is the God of the Bible and the God of all creation!

It is through the Lord Jesus Christ that we can be "faithful" toward God. It is the Holy Triune God that was at work for our salvation!

1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

The same God who raised up the Lord Jesus Christ from His death can raise us all up from death to live in eternity with Him!

Jesus Christ is the perfect Mediator between us and God the Father who seeks perfection for us all.

It is the work of Jesus Christ who has made us acceptable to God the Father!

To approach our Father in Heaven we can only go by the Lord Jesus Christ!

Joh 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

Joh 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

It is only Jesus Christ that we can be made whole!

Act 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

To be whole is to have purified our souls!

*****1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Besides prayer there is no greater force upon this earth than "love"!

To God the Father, love is the key to our salvation!

Two people that love each other will do anything to please each other.

Why should it be different in our love of God?

Why should we not have brotherly love toward each other?

It is by love that families can be families.

A purified soul will contain a purified love for all God's people!

2Co 6:6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

Unfeigned means genuine, sincere, without hypocrisy or play-acting.

What is it to be "Born Again"?

How did the Apostle Paul say it by the Holy Spirit?

1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

Notice to be "born again" is a complete change!

Just as Mary the Mother of Jesus was found with child by the Holy Spirit, then each and every believer is "born again" by the Holy Spirit who lives within each child of God!

The Word of God is that incorruptible seed that we must absorb into our souls and planted in our hearts.

To born again is a Spiritual rebirth, a rebirth of our spirit, a new life, a renewed soul, a godly nature!

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

If we do not have a rebirth we still live in that old sinful flesh and be a servant of Satan!

Just keep this in mind, we must be reborn and not reformed!

There can nothing good come from that old body of flesh!

*****1Pe 1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

1Pe 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

When we are born into this world as a babe, we know nothing but after a few years we feel invincible but as we get older, after the prime of our lives we begin to see that life is really very short.

We realize that what has said is very true. Our flesh is as grass and the glory of the grass is its flower and soon it begins to wither away, until it is gone forever.

The Word of God on the other hand speaks its truth until time runs out, and it will run out.

As Christians we know the end and the new beginning is 1007 years plus the time God allows till the rapture of the Church. That may seem like a long time but in reality, it is not.

If there ever was a time to get right with God, then now is that time!

We can see the reality of what God is saying here.

We look around and we see those who have aged until one day they are gone!

Before that day takes place, we need to make an appointment with God and we can only do that through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

If and when the Holy Spirit knocks on the door of your heart, please say yes quickly, very quickly, we are not promised any more time at all!

When we have been "born again", we are at peace with God and these things lose their relevance and only the going home seems to be of importance.

We welcome death but at the same time we all have family members and friends who have not said yes to the Lord.

The Word of God will never change because our God will never change.

You do not have to look for things that are better when you already have the very best!

One day we will be living with the Lord forever and nothing on this earth can be better than that.

Forever and Eternity, have no time limits because time will cease to exist!

Amen

Let's Pray!